Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Throughout the whole of last week, I was met with some difficult challenges and obstacles to overcome. The pressure was on and I had a decision to make; I could either run away from everything and give up or I could get close to God and gain strength and joy from Him. Praise God that I did the latter.

1 Chronicles 16:27 tells us that joy is found wherever God is, so we must remain close to Him in order to keep our joy, especially during times of testing.

1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

Like peace, God-given joy is completely different from the kind of joy that is found in the world. The joy that God gives us is not determined by our circumstances.

The enemy loves nothing more than to steal our God-given joy and will attempt, in many ways, to fill our hearts with fear and depression. When we trust God for our lives and believe that the plan He has for us is good, despite our circumstances, our joy cannot be stolen.

It is not uncommon for the enemy to use people in order to prevent us from moving forward. During these times when our relationships are tested, we ultimately have two options:

React in the flesh and make our point known and subsequently lose our joy or

Wait on God before reacting. When we handle things Gods way and respond in love to those who persecute is, we are immediately filled with joy.

I am so grateful for the joy that God filled my heart with last week, when I was going through a time of testing. My prayer is that you would receive God’s joy in your life too.

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Published by Hayley Boden

Hi my name is Hayley Boden and I am a follower of Jesus.
I am married to Jon & have two daughters, age 14 & 11.
I am a worship leader and author of the book ‘Worship in Spirit and in Truth’ and I am passionate about teaching the power of worship to the local church.
I share my thoughts on all things relating to Christianity & I write to encourage, inspire & motivate.
View all posts by Hayley Boden

Amen! So important to “tap into” our relationship with God during such times… people and circumstances can pull us in so many directions, but as you so beautiful say, God renews our joy. Wonderful post!